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Information Minister and Co. scoop US$ 40,000 from Gateway Account

Documentary evidence has exposed the Minister of Information in a dubious financial transaction in collaboration with some NATCOM officials, whose desire was to pilfer and scoop money from the International Gate Way Account under the pretext of utilizing the money to attend an international conference. Whether the NATCOM Act makes provision for the supervisory ministry, which is the Ministry of Information and Communication to be replenished from funds from the International Gate Way account has to be clarified by Officials of the two institutions or it is a violation of the Act to enrich the Minister of Information and his cabal is now left to be seen. What is evidently clear is the undisputable fact that the Ministry of Information is in a state of shamble that has been transformed to a corruption den within the shortest possible time frame since the current leadership assumed office. What is sad and verily not in the interest of the state is the number of “DEALS” that have been established at the ministry for the sole purpose of enriching few of the top officials. Deals that range from fibre optic project to supervision and maintenance of the project to other lucrative projects funded by the World Bank and International Monetary Union via the ministry (IMF).

Few days back, there has been the hue and cry over what the ministry fibre optic technical team described as incomplete project work that was buttressed by the Minister of Information and Communication, Mr. Mohammed Bangura. The claim was that the Director of Communication Mr. Abu Bakarr Tarawallie had issued to the corrupt Chinese technical a Certificate of Completion when the work was later discovered to be poorly done, incomplete and far from international standard. The cry of the minister went far and loud, but little was known that it was a concerted effort flavoured by jealousy, hate and selfishness to smear the image of one person for another. Unfortunately, the latest revelation with documentary evidence that has involved the Minister of Information and Communication in an alleged corrupt deal is the scooping and pilfering of money from the International Gate Way Fund under the pretext of attending the World Summit on Information and Society Forum 2017. The relevance of the conference if attended has not changed the professional character of the ministry that is deeply entrenched in financial corruption.
The US$ 40,000 scooped from the International Gate Way Fund is just one out of many funds that have lined the pockets of few individuals at the ministry. The fibre optic project, it would be recalled is a project that was funded by the World Bank and valued over US$15 Million, but the many players with personal interests have caused payments to be made to the contractors that is far below merit if properly assessed by a credible, independent and professional international body. This is evident from documents approved by various top Government officials with Commercial bills and payments effected into the Export-Import Bank of China A/C No 2020000100000059922
(Editor’s note—By the time the subject matter of fibre optic project is concluded by this medium, the public would know how the Ministry of Information and Communication has found itself in a big mess with a political head that exhibits questionable character)